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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27339556">My Hero</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Choco_baby_bro/pseuds/Choco_baby_bro'>Choco_baby_bro</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Cloud Strife Needs a Hug, Cloud Strife Whump, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Hojo (Compilation of FFVII) Being An Asshole, Human Experimentation, Hurt Cloud Strife, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Tifa Lockhart, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 00:20:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,502</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27339556</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Choco_baby_bro/pseuds/Choco_baby_bro</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"One day, when you're a famous SOLDIER..promise me, if I'm ever trapped or in trouble, you'll come and save me." </p><p>•<br/>•<br/>•<br/>"..Fine..I promise."<br/>•<br/>•<br/>•<br/>"You idiot..this isn't what I asked for."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>81</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>"Hey, Tifa? When's Daddy gonna come back?" Marlene was seated at the bar of Seventh Heaven, eating a small bowl of soup made by the girl in question. It was late in the evening, and the two were left to hold down the fort while the AVALANCE made their mark on Mako Reactor 1.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Oh, don't you worry, he'll be back real soon. You know he'd rather not keep you waiting." Tifa hummed, smiling from her place at the sink. She washed each dish thoughtfully, though there were few. "You might be going to bed soon after he get's back.. but if you want, you can come with me to see Marle? She's due for a filter change." A light gasp came from the child, causing her to raise her eyes.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Will I get to play with her puppy?!" Tifa set down her last dish, and rested her arms on the counter with a soft giggle. "Of course you will, but only after you've gotten a good night's sleep." She cooed, booping Marlene's nose and giving her a grin. "Store up lots of energy for tomorrow, and I might see about getting some snacks too. Sweeten the deal."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Promise?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I promise."</em>
</p><p>~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~</p><p>A quiet groan came from disrupted a seemingly eerie silence as her consciousness resurfaced. Her body was aching, and her head throbbed to an extent, but otherwise she was more or less okay. Her eyes fluttered open, and she was met with the immediate sight of Cloud staring back at her. He'd been kneeling beside her still form, waiting patiently for her to awaken. She might have found it endearing, under different circumstances. Barret had compared her childhood friend to a dog many times before, and while usually the term was directed at him in the form of an insult, at this moment, he really was just safeguarding her.</p><p>
  <em>It's so typical of him..</em>
</p><p>The moment she began to move, he visibly relaxed, watching as she carefully sat up, placing her hands on the ground she laid upon. She almost wished she'd remained unconscious, because nothing hurt more in that moment than seeing their cruel, harsh sight of reality.</p><p>Sector Seven was gone.</p><p>Those living beneath the plate didn't have much. They were poor, and many were living unfortunate lives, struggling to get by each day. Even so, that's what made everyone so dependent on one another. They were all struggling together, helping where help was needed, whether it was building shops, fighting monsters, or finding a lost pet. Now, they had nothing. That was, if they lived. Topside too, sure, they had a little more money in their pockets and lived comfortably above the plate, but they'd suffered the same fate, and probably without even knowing why.</p><p>It hurt even more, knowing that all of it was because of AVALANCHE. It was their fault, and now, the entire sector was paying for it.</p><p>Not trusting her voice just yet, she kept quiet, getting to her feet, with the help of Cloud to keep her steady. She didn't have any words for the complete destruction surrounding them. She never dreamed that things could get so.. catastrophic.</p><p>"Tifa."</p><p>Rather than answering him, she walked, finding an opening in the rubble and ducking under it. He simply followed her without any further attempts at conversation. He knew better than anyone, if there was no initial response, now really wasn't the time. He was familiar with the sight of death, and destruction. That was his life, and he was used to it. Tifa was a completely different story.</p><p>She was searching, for anyone they knew, any signs of life. Under piles of debris, over them, through flames, everywhere.</p><p>"Hey! Is anyone out there?! Can anybody hear me?!"</p><p>A loud voice cut through the eerie silence, and for a moment, it filled her with pure relief. "Barret!" Picking up her pace, Tifa followed his voice, desperation carrying her every step. With the blonde SOLDIER at her heel, she shortly arrived to a rather large piece of debris, and pushed against it, to no avail. "I think he's this way." She said, turning to look at Cloud, the pair locking eyes briefly before she stepped to the side, making room for him as he joined her.</p><p>"One, two, three." The two of them pushed, and within a moment, they'd opened up the path, stumbling through to find the familiar face.</p><p>He was standing in front of Seventh Heaven. At least, what remained of it. The bar that they used to call home was no longer recognizable, reduced to nothing but a pile of rubble. "Biggs! Wedge?! Jessie..!!" He paced around the destroyed sign of the bar, grabbing pieces of wood and rock and throwing them aside. "..Marlene..! Marlene!!"</p><p>Cloud and Tifa could only watch him, disheartened to see him breaking down. Just before the plate fell, Aerith told the three of them that she'd found Marlene, and that she was safe. But, Aerith herself was captured by Shinra, and the only safe place she could have taken her..</p><p>
  <em>Aerith's house.</em>
</p><p>It made sense. Sector Five wasn't too close to the wreckage, so the clouds of smoke and screams of terror likely wouldn't bring any harm to the child. Aerith wouldn't lie to them, especially at a time like this. Finally deciding to speak up, Cloud took a few steps, approaching Barret. He wasn't certain if she was there, but he could say for sure that she was safe. They just needed to find her. "Barret."</p><p>Unfortunately from there, it seemed that their luck had run out entirely.</p><p>A flash of bright light.</p><p>The sound of gun shots.</p><p>That was how the trio had once again become separated. In immediate response to the threat, Cloud had grabbed a hold of Tifa's wrist, and ran. by now, it was damn near instinctive.</p><p>It looked like Shinra was doing a sweep of the area. They wanted to be sure that AVALANCHE was gone for good. Black and white spots were doing quite a deadly dance across Cloud's usually perfect vision while he fled, hardly acknowledging the burning sensation in his right forearm. It was likely a bullet wound.</p><p>As a SOLDIER, he knew that the injury would heal just fine on it's own, but it brought a sudden concern to Tifa. Had she been shot too? If that was the case, they'd need to stop so he could tend to her. He risked a glance back, over his shoulder.</p><p>Several Shinra soldiers were hot on their heels. With a slight furrow of his brow, Cloud spun, ducking to swiftly adjust his hold on his childhood friend, lifting her off her feet.</p><p>"Wait- Cloud.." Her protest was weak, and short lived, so he ignored it for favor of increasing their speed. She didn't sound very okay to him.</p><p>Unfortunately, they weren't able to get very far.</p><p>A subtle 'tsk' was the only thing that alerted Tifa to their apparent misfortune. She'd allowed Cloud to carry her, with his arms under her knees and around her shoulders, so that she could rest her head against his chest. A headache had grown to pulse in the back of her skull, and she felt extremely sluggish. Honestly, if they needed to run any further, she was sure her legs would have given out anyway.</p><p>The pair was surrounded now, Shinra soldiers blocking their every exit. Fighting them head on would be a bad idea. Tifa was in no condition for it, and if Cloud went, it would leave her unprotected and vulnerable.</p><p>And he'd much rather die than do that.</p><p>The thought shocked him as it crossed his mind, causing him to blink once, but he wasn't bothered by it in the least. It was a very true realization. If anyone or anything were going to hurt her, they were going to do so over his rotting corpse.</p><p>"Ex-SOLDIER now, hm? You certainly have been an extremely troublesome yet intriguing specimen."</p><p>The blond went rigid.</p><p>
  <em>That voice. I know that..</em>
</p><p>To confirm his suspicion, the infamous and sadistic Professor Hojo was standing there, probably about ten or fifteen feet away. He was wearing a smile, but that only worsened his appearance. That smile was threatening, in every aspect of the word. Cloud wasn't sure whether to glare or cower, or <em>flee, </em>like every instinct he had was telling him to.</p><p>But even he knew, there was no way to get out of this unscathed.</p><p>"At ease, my beloved science experiment. I'm not hear to hurt you. I'm merely here to.. have a chat."</p><p>
  <em>A lie.</em>
</p><p>It was either fight or flight now. He could take the risk, kill Hojo where he stood, take out the other soldiers, then take Tifa and run. Or, he could just turn his back to the Professor and take off in the opposite direction, fight his way past the others.</p><p>
  <em>But then, Tifa would get hurt, and even if we got away from here, there would be consequences.</em>
</p><p>The SOLDIER was silent, and he had yet to move, but his hold on Tifa tightened, and his brows twitched when the Professor took a few steps toward them. Glowing Mako infused irises fell briefly to the man's feet, before quickly returning to his face.</p><p>
  <em>Eleven feet.</em>
</p><p>"Tifa Lockhart, yes? I seem to recall you and her being quite.. closely acquainted." The smile remained there on the Professor's face, and his eyes only lit up with amusement.</p><p>"We're not."</p><p>"Oh please, you know you couldn't ever even hope to fool me, boy. I know what desperation looks like on you. You wore it often."</p><p>Tifa listened quietly to the exchange, pretending to have lost consciousness. Cloud wasn't paying her any attention anymore. She stole a peek up at his face, and felt a light shiver run up her spine.</p><p>He <em>did </em>look desperate. She could see his eyes wavering, and his jaw was clenched tight. To anyone else, he probably just looked angry, but she <em>knew </em>Cloud. She felt uneasy, and a little frightened of the man speaking to him. She didn't know what there was between this man and Cloud. It was probably something that happened in the time after he left Nibelheim. That meant she didn't know, and based on the way he was acting now, it was bad enough that Cloud hadn't wanted to explain it to her.</p><p>"I suppose if it makes you feel any better, we can take her along with us. The two of you will-"</p><p>
  <em>
    <b>"No."</b>
  </em>
</p><p>Laughter erupted from the Professor, and Tifa chose that moment to speak. "Cloud.. I'll go with you. We can handle this togeth-"</p><p>"No." He said again, not even sparing her a glance. He knew better. If the both of them were captured, Hojo would definitely find a way to harm her. He was certain of it. "She's staying here. She's not a member of AVALANCHE, there's no reason to hurt her."</p><p>She found it hard to believe that they'd let her off that easy, but to her surprise, the lie seemed to work well enough.</p><p>"Is that so? Then I guess you're right. But, I know you surely aren't going to come as quietly as I'd like. You feign timidity, but you've got a stubborn streak." Hojo folded his arms, lightly waving his hand. The soldiers behind the pair cleared the way a bit, and Cloud closed his eyes, waiting a moment before turning, and walking toward a particularly large piece of rock.</p><p>Tifa hated how useless she felt. The two of them always had each other's backs. In a fight like this, where it was so many against one, he needed her there. She tried to steel herself, to gather the strength to be able to put up some sort of fight, but once Cloud placed her down against the rock, she could hardly even bring herself to move. She was tired.</p><p>The blonde was kneeling beside her, sitting quietly and staring into her eyes, in that way that made her squirm. She couldn't <em>read</em> that expression. It was nearly emotionless, exactly the way he'd been when she woke up for the first time following the fall of the plate. He said nothing, and didn't do anything but watch her. It took her a minute or two to realize he was checking in. That quiet stare was his way of making sure she was alright.</p><p>Should she smile? The circumstances didn't call for it.. She shifted lightly against the rock, and took a deep breath, before giving him a light nod. A faint pink dusted her cheeks, which was good, since that at least meant that she wasn't terribly pale. That seemed to be enough though, because Cloud stood up, and grabbed the hilt of his sword. He took a single step, scanning over all the soldiers watching them, before his eyes landed on the Professor's smug form.</p><p>He shouldn't be having to worry about her, not when he had his own safety to deal with. He needed to concentrate.</p><p>She slowly let her eyes close, thinking it best for her to rest if she couldn't contribute to the battle.</p><p>It would have been good for her, but hardly a second later, she was met face to face with the blade of the Buster Sword. She flinched, and her eyes went wide. It was too close, almost cut off her legs.</p><p>When she raised her eyes, and leaned slightly to the side to see her close friend, he was looking right back at her. Their eyes met again, and for a moment, the rest of the world fell away.</p><p>"Cloud..?" Instead of answering her, he turned his back, relinquishing his hold on the sword, and stepping away.</p><p>"Cloud, you need your sword! You can't fight them without your sword!" Tifa forced her arms to move, raising them to push against the blade.</p><p>It wouldn't budge.</p><p>She realized then, that the massive sword was meant to keep her there. It was to prevent her from getting up, as well as keeping anyone from forcing her out. He'd jammed it into the ground deep enough that removing it would be difficult. It was slanted, so she couldn't even stand if she wanted.</p><p>
  <em>"Cloud!"</em>
</p><p>The Ex-SOLDIER had closed the distance between himself and the Professor, who was ordering the soldiers to restrain him. He didn't look back at her, nor did he give her any sign of turning back, to tell her that it was just a sick joke. The hot tears that filled her eyes were quickly streaming down her face as she tried to put more effort into her struggle against the sword. "Don't do this, Cloud, <em>please!"</em></p><p>He knew she was crying, and it was his fault. It made his chest ache, and when he snuck a look at Hojo, the sick satisfaction on his face made him want to puke. He just did  his best to tune out her cries, walking forward with his wrists bound, guns pointed at his back as he was lead away. </p><p>Those cries were going to haunt him.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>The trip back to Shinra Headquarters was uneventful. Hojo tried to make small talk with their prisoner, but Cloud simply opted to be unresponsive. He stared ahead of himself, at the wall of the helicopter they were flying anything.</p><p>
  <em>I did the right thing. Tifa's much safer down there. When Barret finds her, they'll recover and find the others.</em>
</p><p>To say he had faith in them was an understatement. Tifa was mad at him for abandoning her, and he was mad at himself for it too, but in the end, even if he were killed somehow in the confines of the HQ, she would live. That was enough for him.</p><p>Before he knew it, he was being escorted off the helicopter, and into the Shinra building. He kept his gaze downcast, and no one attempted further conversation with him while they travelled through the building. </p><p>He knew where they were going, and there was no point in trying to fight there. He wasn't helpless without his sword, but if he caused any trouble, who was to say Hojo wouldn't do something to hurt the others?</p><p>Down a few corridors. Up an elevator. Another corridor. Two flights of stairs.</p><p>Cloud only looked up when he heard a familiar beep, and the sound of the lab door opening. "Welcome home, Cloud." Hojo smiled at him again, not disappointed in the slightest to be ignored by his runaway test subject. "Feel free to become reacquainted with your old sleep chamber. Or well, I suppose that was more you being comatose. No need to worry about being lonely, I've brought someone else here to keep you company."</p><p>The SOLDIER hadn't even gotten the chance to ask before a a sudden weight had thrown itself into his waist, causing him to stumble back a few steps. He looked down, only now expressing shock. She was sobbing, gripping the sides of his uniform and rubbing her face into the fabric.</p><p>
  <em>Marlene.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Let the struggle begin.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Wahh, I didn't mean to take so long getting this out, but here it is! I'll try and update a little quicker without rushing my chapters. I really appreciate all the comments and kudos, and I appreciate you all being patient with me! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A hard lump formed in Cloud's throat, as he continued to stare. The child - <em>Barret's </em>daughter, Marlene, was here. She'd been in Hojo's laboratory, for how long? What had he done to her? <em>Why </em>was she here??</p><p>The answer came to him immediately, because he wasn't an idiot. He knew full well that the purpose of her presence was to keep him in line. Cloud was terrible with children. Marlene had literally fled from him upon their first meeting, and he didn't even have to say a word for it. Yet now, there she was, clinging to him like a life line. He left things like this to Tifa. Or really anyone else that wasn't <em>him</em>.</p><p>Tentatively, he knelt, so he was level with her. Nothing he could say would make her feel any better, so he just let her cry, wrapping her arms around his neck and trembling like a leaf in a storm.</p><p>From there, the SOLDIER raised his eyes directly to Hojo. If looks could kill, he was sure the man would have been disintegrated right then and there. The few infantryman present grew nervous, raising their guns to point at him, though he didn't waver in the slightest.</p><p>"Oh, don't give me that look. I've done not a thing to the girl. She's just been kept in here while we were out looking for you. You did take quite a long time to come along." The Professor didn't miss the flash of anger behind those eyes, soon averted and closed.</p><p>That was suggestive, as if Hojo meant to tell him that Marlene suffered, and it was because of <em>him.</em></p><p>"Cw..Clo-oud..M-Mister Cloud.." All at once, the tension in his body vanished, and the blond waited patiently, feeling Marlene's grip loosen until she slowly released him, sniffling and covering her eyes.</p><p>"I'll protect you."</p><p>There was not a second of hesitation  from him. His tone was calm, and quiet. It might have even been soothing to her. The girl sniffled again and moved her hands to look at him. SOLDIERs.. They were scary people who liked to fight and hurt people. At least, that's what her father had told her. Looking at Cloud now though, she wasn't as scared of him as she'd been.</p><p>A light chuckle from the Professor broke the seemingly calm atmosphere, and tension returned to the blonde.</p><p>"You'll protect her? From what? There's nothing that'll get her in here." Well, the other less successful experiments might. "I supposed the two of you can share a chamber. That girl has been wailing nonstop since she got here, and I must say it's been grating on my nerves."</p><p>It was unbelievable, how this man thought it okay to kidnap a child and keep her there against her will. Of course she was going to cry.</p><p>Without saying anything, the Ex-SOLDIER stood, glancing down briefly to Marlene, before stepping away from her and approaching the open chamber. The sight of it made him feel cold, like he wanted to run and hide. But, he wouldn't give in to that temptation, not in front of the Professor, and not while Marlene was there. He knew if he broke down it would only make things worse for her. She followed him to the chamber, still latched onto his uniform and hiding her face from everyone in the room.</p><p>After the two of them stepped inside, the chamber door slid shut, sealing them within.</p><p>
  <em>It's awful, that he kept her in this place.</em>
</p><p>Cloud took in a deep breath, holding it for five seconds before letting it go.  Worrying wasn't going to change anything. He rested his back against the glass, slowly sliding down to sit, one leg bent and the other laying flat. He didn't say anything when Marlene crawled to sit beside him, nor did he look at her. He might have actually forgotten briefly that she was there.</p><p>He was missing an entire five years of his life, a result of the experimentation he was put through when he was sixteen. He didn't remember anything from before then either really, nothing with any substance. He remembered Tifa, and their home in Nibelheim. The rest only came to him in very painful bits and pieces. He wasn't really expecting to ever recover those memories. The present wouldn't change just because he gained some information, so it was best to let it be.</p><p>His brow twitched lightly when his thoughts were interrupted, disturbed and put to rest by the voice of the little girl beside him.</p><p>"Uhm.. A.. Are you sleeping..?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>She didn't say anything else for a minute or two, and he waited. He wouldn't be able to comprehend what went on in the mind of a four year old. He just knew she was scared, rightfully so, and probably missing her dad. "You should get some sleep though. Nothing bad will happen in here." He told her,  closing his eyes and peering out of the glass. They weren't being observed by anyone still in the lab. They were all occupied with other tasks.</p><p>Marlene answered his suggestion with a soft whimper, but she couldn't deny the fact that she was tired. She'd exhausted herself, between crying and travelling a few places over the course of a few hours. She moved, crawling onto Cloud's lap. She didn't miss the way his breathing stopped when she did, but she settled there, adopting the spot as her temporary bed. Cloud couldn't be classified as a stranger anymore, if her dad talked to him, and Tifa did too. He was warm, and he hasn't ever been mean to her either. It could have just been the circumstances, but at least for the time being, she felt just a little bit safe.</p><p>Why Marlene chose him to be her perch, well, his guess was as good as anyone else's. It wasn't like he was in the position to protest. His wrists were still cuffed, and there wasn't a lot of space in the chamber to begin with. He decided to just assume it was because she was cold.</p><p>Cloud kept his movement to a minimum, staying quiet until her soft sniffles diminished to calm and level breaths. Her head was resting on his chest, and her arms hung loosely by his sides.</p><p>It was a good thing, that she was able to relax. It was about time that he started working on a plan of sorts. He knew, Marlene was alright, she was there with him, but she was only there because Hojo knew. Hojo knew that she knew Cloud, and that he wouldn't behave recklessly if it meant harm came to her. Barret is gonna hate him for it, whenever he finds out.</p><p>
  <em>I need to get her out of here.</em>
</p><p>It was with that thought that the blonde SOLDIER let his eyes fall shut, lowering his head to follow his own advice. He didn't necessarily need to sleep, but he could let his mind and body rest for a little while.</p><p>Unfortunately, the illusion of peace didn't last for very long, but it was to be expected. It only took about twenty minutes for the Professor to grow bored enough to bother them.</p><p>"Mako Specimen Number 326, I'll need you to come out of there for a short while. You may be a failure, but there is still much that I can glean from this experiment."</p><p>Cloud's eyes fluttered open, and his relaxed expression immediately twisted into a scowl. It wasn't a very harsh one - He wouldn't give Hojo that satisfaction - but it was clear he wasn't pleased. "If I don't?"</p><p>"Then you needn't come along. I suppose an unwilling participant will only be more difficult when we're trying to get results.." A soft sigh slipped from the Professor, but momentarily, the chamber door slid open, and he was approaching the pair. Naturally, Cloud was immediately on edge, and he leaned forward a little, as if that would somehow keep him away.</p><p>He couldn't do anything to stop the man from touching Marlene, effectively waking her and pulling her up and off of Cloud's lap. At first, her sleepy eyes were swimming with confusion, then after registering the separation from her safe haven, she started screaming.</p><p>Right. That was meant to get a bit of panic out of him. It was already too late for Cloud to keep himself in check. He was straining against the cuffs, the cold metal digging into his skin painfully. He didn't say anything, but he did close his eyes.</p><p>Hojo was certainly going to hurt her if he didn't comply. Thankfully, it seemed that he didn't need to give a verbal response in order to get his point across. After only ten seconds of the little girl wailing, the Professor released her, and she flung herself back down into Cloud's lap, once again disturbed in place she shouldn't be, by a man she should have never had to meet.</p><p>"Help me.. I don't w-wanna..Idontwannago.." If he were soft hearted, he might have broke then. It was ironic for her to ask for his help when he was the reason she was there in the first place. He wasn't very good with tears. He didn't ever want to see Tifa crying. It was a little different with Marlene, because she was a child. A child who was only seeking comfort from him because she knew he was friends with Tifa. He was more aware than anyone, if there were anyone else there with them she wouldn't be soaking the front of his uniform with her tears.</p><p>Reluctantly, Cloud shifted, not quite answering the tearful pleas of Marlene, but instead giving her a somewhat soft look. "I'll be right back." He said simply, pushing himself to his feet. He only managed a single step before her small fist was gripping his pant leg, giving it an insistent tug. "You'll get hurt if I don't go."</p><p>The looked he earned after saying it expressed a mixture of emotions, all negative. He could easily recognize fear, and hurt. Of course his words hurt, but it was the truth. Technically, if she weren't there, he could have put up much more resistance.</p><p>He definitely wasn't the heartless SOLDIER he used to be.</p><p>That seemed to do it though. Marlene let him go, and he didn't waste any more time. Stepping out of the tube, the blonde refused to meet see the few pairs of eyes he knew were certainly on him. </p><p>"I'm pleased with your behavior, Specimen 326. Come. There is much for us to do."</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>
  <em>Cloud left Nibelheim behind. He left Tifa, and she was okay with it. She missed him, but she wasn't lonely. She'd had plenty of other kids to play with.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>When they were younger, she and Cloud didn't spend that much time together to begin with. He was shy, and withdrawn while Tifa was outgoing and playful. Cloud never got along with the other kids in their village.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The one time he was invited to play with them, it didn't go over so well. They played a made up game, where the boys would fight to rescue Tifa from on top of the water tower in the center of the village. They all had their cardboard armor and sticks for swords, while Tifa would wait patiently for her knight in shining armor to come up and get her. The little battles usually took quite some time, because the victor always had to make sure there was no enemies in the way.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>In this particular game, it only took the better part of five minutes for a head of blonde hair to peek over the edge of the tower, and for Cloud to climb up.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His sudden presence startled her, and she stared, blinking as he extended a hand, waiting expectantly. "Come on."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She didn't move immediately, but took a glance to the other boys still fighting down below. "You haven't gone after any of the others yet?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Your safety is the top priority in this game, isn't it?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Tifa looked back to him, meeting her friend's eyes. He was serious about that, and somehow, it made her heart swell. That was the first time anyone had thought to come to really put her first. It really was just like him.</em>
</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>Tifa realized that Cloud wouldn't ever stop putting  her first. It was just the way he was. He didn't care enough about himself to be selfish.</p><p>She'd been on the verge of hysterics by the time Barret came by and found her wedged between the rubble and Cloud's sword. Thankfully, he was able to free her, and they managed to find a relatively safe place to hide for the time being, at a hotel in Wall Market. They had yet  to find Marlene, and they hadn't found any of the others either. For just the two of them, morale was very low.</p><p>"So what the hell was he thinking? The little shit just leave you there to die? Ran back to his damn masters?" Understandably, Barret was pissed. He almost his entire family had been wiped out by the plate as far as he was aware, and then the one he'd learned to trust to a degree has left them. </p><p>"It wasn't like that.. He didn't want to go.." Even Tifa could see it, there was absolutely no way Cloud would betray them like that. She was lying on one of the beds, curled up on her side and staring at the wall. "He did it to protect me. I know that, I do. Sometimes I just-" A shaky breath left her, and she turned her face into the pillow.</p><p>
  <em>I just wish he wouldn't be so ready to put himself in danger like that.</em>
</p><p>"He seemed like he was gonna tell me something before all that shit went down. I'm ready to storm that damn place and raise hell. I've had it with their shit! He knows how tough you are, so why the hell would he try and do something like that?? You could probably kick his ass yourself if you wanted. You sure it wasn't all some undercover shit?" Barret sat down in a chair by the window, peeking out of the curtains. Sector Six was unusually quiet for it being the middle of the night. It just went to show how serious everything was.</p><p>The last thing Tifa ever wanted to do was doubt him. Cloud wasn't the type to lie. He'd been such a great help, and he got along well with the others. They didn't really treat him like he was the bloodthirsty weapon he thought he was when he first got there. They treated him like a friend, and eventually it softened him up. At least, she hoped it did. </p><p>That was the first time she really ever saw him look so scared, standing in front of that man. The professor. She still didn't have any clue about where Cloud was or what he went through in the seven years he was gone. When he arrived at Seventh Heaven for the first time, he said it'd been only five years since they'd seen each other. Did he really not keep track? Somehow, she had a difficult time believing that.</p><p>"We can't just rush into Shinra headquarters on our own. That would be suicide. Plus, we have to make sure things are okay down here." It was an excuse, just as much as it was a statement to ground her. Staying down for too long wasn't going to bring anyone back, and it wasn't going to fix the plate or any of the destruction. Her strength was not only in her fists, but in her ability to persevere and move forward.</p><p>
  <em>'Keep those gloves up.'</em>
</p><p>This was only a minor setback. Come morning, it would be time to get to work.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This has been a work in progress for a long time, and I mean, what better way to procrastinate homework than writing fanfiction right? :'D I hope you all enjoy this!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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